Missing Mass and Spiritual communion

[Moonflower]

We are obliged to attend Mass each Sunday and every other Holy Day of Obligation. Sometimes, though, we just can’t be there. One’s own sickness or the obligations to care for a sick person 1, having given birth within the past 6 weeks, dangerous weather (and other safety hazards), not being able to find a way there – life happens. There is no guilt in missing Mass if the circumstances are out of one’s control (mortal sin always requires not only grave matter and knowledge, but consent of the will).

The rule of thumb concerning Mass availability is that if one is required to travel more than an hour to reach a Mass, one is not guilty of sin by not attending. Nor is one obliged to attend if the only Masses available are offered by formal schismatics or those who mix heresy into the liturgy. If a liturgy is scandalous, heretical, or simply not Catholic, one is obligated to not attend even if it goes by the label “Catholic.” We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc. (for this reason, many traditional Catholics are “home-aloners” – unable to attend Mass in their area and having to make do with the spiritual Communion this page describes).

…Sometimes, too, we just crave Communion with our Eucharistic Lord but have already received Him sacramentally that day.

In all these instances, we are encouraged to make what is known as a “spiritual Communion,” an act expressing what was described by St. Thomas Aquinas as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and in lovingly embracing Him.” In a spiritual Communion, we, with contrite, humble hearts, ask our Lord to come to us in the same way He would if we were able to receive the Sacrament. This can be done as often as one likes, informally in one’s own words or through one of the traditional prayers which appear below.

What is the value of this practice? The graces received may be as great as – or greater than – those received by some people in the actual Sacrament. Though, of course, the Sacrament itself is inherently greater, our disposition toward the Sacrament affect whether and how we receive its fruits. For example, imagine a woman who is unable to be with her husband but who desires him as contrasted with a woman who has her husband’s presence but doesn’t care for him. Which husband would be more apt to pour out his love for his wife?

 

[Moonflower]

How to Receive Spiritual Communion

St. Leonard of Port-Maurice offers this advice for receiving Spiritual Communion:

In order to facilitate a practice of such great excellence, ponder what I have to say. When the priest is about to give himself Communion in holy Mass, do you, keeping composed externally and internally, excite in your heart an act of true contrition, and humbly striking your breast, in token that you acknowledge yourself unworthy of so great a grace, make all those acts of love, of self-surrender, of humility, and the rest, which you are accustomed to make when you communicate sacramentally, and then desire with a lively longing to receive your good Jesus, veiled in the sacrament for your benefit. And to kindle your devotion, imagine that most holy Mary, or some saint, your holy advocate, is holding forth to you the sacred particle; figure yourself receiving it, and then, embracing Jesus in your heart, reply to Him, over and over again, with interior words prompted by love: “Come, Jesus, my Beloved, come within this my poor heart; come and satiate my desires; come and sanctify my soul; come, most sweet Jesus, come!” This said, be still; contemplate your good God within you, and, as if you really had communicated, adore Him, thank Him, and perform all those interior acts to which you are accustomed after sacramental Communion.

Here is a choice of a few different formal prayers to pray while following St. Leonard’s advice, though you can pray in your own words, if you prefer:

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Act of Spiritual Communion
by St. Alphonsus Liguori (A.D. 1696-1787)

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee.

Act of Spiritual Communion

O Immaculate Queen of Heaven and Earth, Mother of God and Mediatrix of every grace: I believe that Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is truly, really, and substantially contained in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love Him above all things and I long to receive Him into my heart. Since I cannot now receive Him sacramentally, be so good as to place Him spiritually in my soul.

O my Jesus, I embrace Thee as One who has already come, and I unite myself entirely to Thee. Never permit me to be separated from Thee. Amen.

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Act of Spiritual Communion

As I cannot this day enjoy the happiness of assisting at the holy Mysteries, O my God! I transport myself in spirit at the foot of Thine altar; I unite with the Church, which by the hands of the priest, offers Thee Thine adorable Son in the Holy Sacrifice; I offer myself with Him, by Him, and in His Name. I adore, I praise, and thank Thee, imploring Thy mercy, invoking Thine assistance, and presenting Thee the homage I owe Thee as my Creator, the love due to Thee as my Savior.

Apply to my soul, I beseech Thee, O merciful Jesus, Thine infinite merits; apply them also to those for whom I particularly wish to pray. I desire to communicate spiritually, that Thy Blood may purify, Thy Flesh strengthen, and Thy Spirit sanctify me. May I never forget that Thou, my divine Redeemer, hast died for me; may I die to all that is not Thee, that hereafter I may live eternally with Thee. Amen.

Footnote:
1 If someone is bedridden and unable to get to Church to receive the Eucharist over a long period of time – especially during Eastertide – but this person is also not in need of Unction, ask your priest to pay him a sick call.

 

[Moonflower]

In addition to attending Mass, we are to focus the day on God and His gifts to us by refraining from “servile work,” which is work that is necessary for a living. This is opposed to “liberal work” – work that is recreational, relaxing, of performed out of charity for others. Some types of work might fall into either category, e.g., working on an old car might be work for a mechanic, but sheer joy for the car buff; cooking might be drudgery for the short order cook, but bliss for the woman who truly loves to cook. There is, then, some subjectivity here, but all Catholics must do their best to refrain from work that is servile, and arrange with their employers as much as possible to have Sundays free.

By the same token, Catholics should refrain from putting others in the position of performing servile work on Sundays, too. Shopping, eating in restaurants, going to movies, etc., require that others perform servile work at shops, restaurants, and cinemas. Stay home, visit private homes, etc.; don’t encourage others to break God’s commandments.

Matthew 12:1-15
At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat. And the Pharisees seeing them, said to Him: Behold Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days. But He said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him: How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only? Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame? But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.

And when He has passed from thence, He came into their synagogues. And behold there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked Him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse Him. But He said to them: What man shall there be among you, that hath one sheep: and if the same fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not take hold on it and lift it up? How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do a good deed on the sabbath days. Then He saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand; and he stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other. And the Pharisees going out made a consultation against Him, how they might destroy Him. But Jesus knowing it, retired from thence: and many followed Him, and He healed them all.

Sundays should be stress-free, relaxing, and conducive to thanksgiving, to looking at God’s truly completed work with a “Deo gratias” in our hearts while strengthened, by the Sacrament we receive at Mass, to pick up our own cross.

To keep Sundays holy, we should prepare for them – taking the trash out on Saturday instead of Sunday, throwing together meals 2 on Saturday that can be warmed-up or baked off on Sunday, ensuring that children have their homework and chores out of the way, having the house clean, etc. We prepare spiritually, too: Saturday is the customary day for going to Confession, a “weekly cleaning” that readies one for the Sunday reception of the Eucharist.

Make Sundays a day for something special to the family, something your children will look forward to. :yup: :yup:

 

[T700]

The original poster said: “We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc. (for this reason, many traditional Catholics are “home-aloners” – unable to attend Mass in their area and having to make do with the spiritual Communion this page describes).”

I’m sure I’m misunderstanding this, but it seems like you are saying that if in your opinion, the priest is not orthodox enough or the mass not traditional enough, you will keep yourself and your children away from the Eucharist. Is that correct?

If the mass is valid, but not to your taste and you deliberately avoid it, wouldn’t that be a mortal sin? If the Church deems a priest and rite worthy, how can your judgment be above that of the Bishop and the Pope himself?

Please understand that these are not rhetorical questions; I really am interested in your reasoning. My assumption is that I either misunderstood you or that I am missing some important point.

Paul

 

[Lujack]

The original poster said: “We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc. (for this reason, many traditional Catholics are “home-aloners” – unable to attend Mass in their area and having to make do with the spiritual Communion this page describes).”

I’m sure I’m misunderstanding this, but it seems like you are saying that if in your opinion, the priest is not orthodox enough or the mass not traditional enough, you will keep yourself and your children away from the Eucharist. Is that correct?

If the mass is valid, but not to your taste and you deliberately avoid it, wouldn’t that be a mortal sin? If the Church deems a priest and rite worthy, how can your judgment be above that of the Bishop and the Pope himself?

Please understand that these are not rhetorical questions; I really am interested in your reasoning. My assumption is that I either misunderstood you or that I am missing some important point.

Paul

I can’t speak for her, but I think the reference was more towards things like sedevanticist masses and the SSPX. That would make sense to me; while an adult fully confirmed in the faith could perhaps fulfill the obligation there under extreme circumstances, it wouldn’t be wise to bring young children who are still learning.

 

[thistle]

I can’t speak for her, but I think the reference was more towards things like sedevanticist masses and the SSPX. That would make sense to me; while an adult fully confirmed in the faith could perhaps fulfill the obligation there under extreme circumstances, it wouldn’t be wise to bring young children who are still learning.

Certainly they should avoid sede and sspx masses but nobody should deliberately miss an NO Mass because there is no Latin Mass available at their parish or nearby in an other parish. That would be a grave sin.
They must fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending an NO Mass or a Latin Mass (which is not sspx or sede).

 

[VivaPadrePio]

“We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc.”

Makes sense to me, even in case of priests not (yet) corrected or punished.

In fact, even in the case of the most awful liturgical abuses, the Church is generally pretty slow to intervene and will first gently act on the priest to move him to change his ways. In these circumstances, a damage is actually done on the day of the Mass, and to want to keep a child away from such an experience is in my eyes the right thing to do.

As far as the adults are concerned, my take (waiting for other answers) is that the spiritual communion is exactly the way to avoid the sin connected with not going to Mass.

I’d personally prefer a mass of the SSPX, but made with devotion for the Church, than to have to assist every Sunday to a hippy priest raping the Liturgy. I would also prefer a SSPX Mass to the spiritual communion at home. I have read several times that these masses are valid, if they are attended to in the right spirit.

Interesting issue though, and I am waiting for other responses.

 

[thistle]

“We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc.”

Makes sense to me, even in case of priests not (yet) corrected or punished.

In fact, even in the case of the most awful liturgical abuses, the Church is generally pretty slow to intervene and will first gently act on the priest to move him to change his ways. In these circumstances, a damage is actually done on the day of the Mass, and to want to keep a child away from such an experience is in my eyes the right thing to do.

**As far as the adults are concerned, my take (waiting for other answers) is that the spiritual communion is exactly the way to avoid the sin connected with not going to Mass. **

I’d personally prefer a mass of the SSPX, but made with devotion for the Church, than to have to assist every Sunday to a hippy priest raping the Liturgy. I would also prefer a SSPX Mass to the spiritual communion at home. I have read several times that these masses are valid, if they are attended to in the right spirit.

Interesting issue though, and I am waiting for other responses.

That is absolutely incorrect. That does NOT fulfill the Sunday obligation and so anyone who deliberately misses Mass to substitute it by a spiritual Mass is committing a grave sin.

 

[VivaPadrePio]

Thank Thistle, I stand corrected.

 

[Moonflower]

The original poster said: “We must be especially wary of taking our children to liturgies that pose a danger to their eternal souls by the priest’s watering down the Faith, making the Sacrifice seem unimportant, engaging in behaviors that confuse or are Protestantized, etc. (for this reason, many traditional Catholics are “home-aloners” – unable to attend Mass in their area and having to make do with the spiritual Communion this page describes).”

I’m sure I’m misunderstanding this, but it seems like you are saying that if in your opinion, the priest is not orthodox enough or the mass not traditional enough, you will keep yourself and your children away from the Eucharist. Is that correct?

If the mass is valid, but not to your taste and you deliberately avoid it, wouldn’t that be a mortal sin? If the Church deems a priest and rite worthy, how can your judgment be above that of the Bishop and the Pope himself?

Please understand that these are not rhetorical questions; I really am interested in your reasoning. My assumption is that I either misunderstood you or that I am missing some important point.

Paul

I do not want the children to be kept away from the Eucharist I love Jesus with all my heart when people do such a thing that bothers me, I am a Catholic and I think that we should in fact keep Sundays holy that is what I was trying to say…Paul…

 

[Moonflower]

I can’t speak for her, but I think the reference was more towards things like sedevanticist masses and the SSPX. That would make sense to me; while an adult fully confirmed in the faith could perhaps fulfill the obligation there under extreme circumstances, it wouldn’t be wise to bring young children who are still learning.

Thanks Lujack I was referring to that and I think it is best that we dont miss mass at all… if we do we have to as God for forgiveness:thumbsup:

 

[CassiusLonginus]

Certainly they should avoid sede and sspx masses but nobody should deliberately miss an NO Mass because there is no Latin Mass available at their parish or nearby in an other parish. That would be a grave sin.
They must fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending an NO Mass or a Latin Mass (which is not sspx or sede).

But one certainly can fulfill their sunday obligation at SSPX chapels so I don’t know why you say they should “certainly” be avoided, a point which you reiterate right at the end of your post. Sedes are one thing, the SSPX totally different. The Church has ruled on whether one can attend SSPX Masses, and the ruling is contrary to what you’ve stated.

I’d rather take my boys to a (need I even qualify it with words like ‘abuse-free’ and ‘reverent’?) TLM said by the SSPX than almost any OF. Plus, it’d be too much of a change for them. They wouldn’t know what had happened. When the academy attached to my church took a field trip to a Fransiscan church in downtown Phoenix, one of the boys raised his hand and said “What is that table in front of the altar?”

I guess I’m just blessed with at least a couple TLM options in town. That means I never miss my Mass and then have to go to the OF (though one can make a spiritual communion any time, and as often as one wants). The one time I had to go to an OF celebration in the last 4 years, I wished that I hadn’t.